The Danish tennis star is engaging on Twitter, frequently posting her training and status updates. Even better, she dates pro golfer Rory Mcilroy — both are terrific follows when the other is competing.

The American swimmer told us in May that he uses social media to boost his visibility and marketing potential. His lighthearted tweets and frequent interactions with fans on Twitter helped him pick up sponsors like BMW and Got Chocolate Milk.

Perhaps the 2012 Olympics' biggest celebrity, James won his first NBA title with the Miami Heat in June and will look to follow up in London with his second gold medal. He took time off Twitter during the NBA Playoffs, but will likely be much more active during the summer games.

In May, it was reported that Adlington would forsake Twitter in London because of cruel social media trolls. But the swimmer said she could never give up the microblogging network, and looks to be a solid follow as the Olympics visit her home country.

Ginobili tweets largely in Spanish, but the basketball star is still worth your attention. You'll love his sheer joy representing Argentina and respect his obvious pride for his country. And really, that's what the Olympics are all about.

Powell is one of a handful of incredible Jamaican sprinters. He frequently posts slice-of-life photos and — as evidenced by the screenshot at left — is religious about replying to fans and well wishers.

Nicknamed "Blade Runner," the South African runner has prosthetic lower legs. He will become the first double-amputee to ever compete in the Olympics (he'll also participate in the Paralympics). On Twitter, he frequently provides training updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses while inspiring his more than 50,000 followers.

Sullivan is an Australian sprint swimmer. He has more than 24,000 followers, but tweets pretty much like any other normal dude.

After months of hype, the 2012 Olympics in London will finally get underway this Friday. With two weeks of excitement, drama and athletic brilliance, much of the Olympic action and reaction will take place online.

Social media will play a bigger role this summer than in any games before — especially compared to the last summer Olympics, in 2008. Why? Social media's growth, influence and ubiquity has been exponential since '08. Facebook has gone from 100 million users to over 900 million. More than 400 million tweets are sent each day now, compared to just 300,000 four years ago. And YouTube has grown steadily too; its users now upload more than 72 hours of video content each minute.

As has become standard for major athletic events, Twitter will act as the digital sports bar for many fans. News will break there first. People will share and re-share compelling human interest features; fans will celebrate and debate each race and performance.

And athletes, the stars of the summer games, will connect with fans and provide previously unimaginable inside access. While International Olympic Committee restrictions on social media posts have some athletes frustrated, there will still be plenty to enjoy. But it all begs one question: Out of more than 10,000 Olympians, who should you follow?

Luckily, Mashable has you covered. From sprinters to swimmers, dunkers to divers, we've found 25 of the very best Olympic athletes to follow on Twitter this summer. Scroll through the gallery above to see Mashable's Twitter Olympic team.

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